Amphibia: Calamity Warriors
Chapter Forty-Four: Trouble Homeward Bound
It was late at night and the two wagons were already miles away from Newtopia and on the verge of reaching Wartwood. Atop the wagons, Hop Pop drove the fwagon, clearly tired, yet did his best to stay awake. On the garrison, however, Shadow and Anne sat together, with Anne at the reigns while Shadow made sure she didn't fall off, grabbing her ankle and pulling her back up when she nearly fell off.
Inside the garrison, the other kids, Kaemon, Maddie, Ivy, Sprig and Polly sat around a table with a map laid out.
"All right, gang, check it!" Kaemon declared, tracing a finger along the map. "According to this map, if we drive straight through the night, we'll be home by morning!"
Polly let out a happy sigh. "Say 'home' again."
"Just think. Home for breakfast." Sprig said to his sister.
"Mmm! Pillbug pancakes." Polly said, licking her lips and drooling a bit.
"Sleeping in our own beds." Maddie chimed in.
"Training in my room." Ivy added.
"Training in the yard." Kaemon added, everyone giving him strange looks. "What? Training stops for no one!"
Suddenly, the wagon came to a sudden stop, making the kids fall over. In confusion, they looked up to see Shadow enter through the roof hatch, falling flat on his back, with Anne following behind, also falling flat.
"Whoa! Where do you guys think you're going?" Polly demanded.
"Yeah, we've got a schedule to keep." Sprig added.
"Guys, we've been driving nonstop for like 20 hours." Anne said with bloodshot eyes and bags under them.
"Just a little shut-eye and we'll be back on the road by morning." Shadow assured, equally tired.
"But we're so close!" Sprig whined.
"Yeah, and we really want to see the town again!" Kaemon added.
"Yeah! Can't you just power through one more night?" Polly requested with puppy dog eyes. "Please, please, please? I wanna sleep in a real bed."
"I know how you guys feel, but you're not the ones who have to drive." Anne said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Plus, Hop Pop felt the same way, the way he was lookin'."
"Hey, I've got an idea." Maddie interjected. "Why don't you two sleep, and we can get us home!"
"Yeah! Remember how we owned Quarreler's Pass?" Ivy declared.
Shadow chuckled. "Oh, you sweet, sweet, ignorant kids." His expression suddenly darkened. "Amphibia becomes dangerous at night. And not for the better, I tell you. The nocturnal leech flies are bad enough, but Hop Pop told me stories of evil spirits wandering these parts." He raised his eyebrows. "Real wicked stuff!" His face went back to normal. "Haven't seen any myself, of course, but you know, could happen."
Anne nodded in agreement. "Plus, none of you read Bessie or Ironhide's driving manuals!" She said, pointing at them.
"But..." Kaemon wanted to argue.
"Forget it. You're not driving, and that's final." Shadow said sternly. "Now, if you'll excuse us."
The two humans fell onto the bed, both falling asleep in each other's arms, the amphibian kids sharing looks of disapproval.
The five kids stepped out, and sure enough, Hop Pop was sleeping soundly in the Plantar fwagon, as they went to check on the old frog. The kids then climbed on the roof of the garrison and sat in frustration.
"This is messed up!" Polly exclaimed.
"Yeah, they think we can't handle this!" Ivy said in agreement. "Sure, we're young and made mistakes. But we've proven we can handle ourselves!"
"I know, right?" Maddie chimed in. "What in the world could be so dangerous out there that we haven't lived through already?"
"I've been eaten eight times, guys. Eight times." Polly said before whispering darkly. "I sort of look forward to it now."
"I just wish we could prove to them that we can be relied on." Sprig said.
Kaemon was in thought for a moment before his face lit up with an idea. "Hey, I just thought of something. Shadow, Hop Pop and Anne are asleep, right? So asleep they won't even know if we take the reins and drive us home right now!"
"Hey, you're right!" Sprig declared. "And when they wake up, they'll be so grateful to be home, they'll completely forget to be mad at us!"
"Kaemon, you handsome genius!" Maddie declared, kissing her boyfriend's cheek.
"Now that I'm totally game for!" Ivy nodded.
"You sure they're not gonna wake up though, right?" Polly questioned.
"Absolutely! Those three are out cold." Kaemon said, looking over the side of the garrison to the window. "Huh. Wonder if they'll have any dreams."
Inside the wagons, three were indeed having dreams, Hop Pop's starting off with manifestations of his stress' before realizing that he could do what he wanted, the figures becoming less scary versions of them. In Anne's dream, she dreamt of being in a land of yogurt, but it quickly turned into a nightmare, when it turned out the only flavor there was licorice.
Shadow, on the other hand, had a different dream…
Within the dream, Shadow found himself in a dark void, nothing in sight. The boy in black looked around, seeing nothing in sight but the darkness around him.
"Hello?" He called out, his call echoing into the void. No response.
Curious, yet cautious, he took a few steps forward, hoping to find a way out…
Then he heard it.
"It's your fault!"
He stopped in his tracks, jumping at the call, looking around to find the source, but saw nothing…
Then it happened again.
"Why?!"
Another call, making Shadow freeze, and that's when he was bombarded with more calls from the darkness.
"You're a monster!"
"How could you do this?!"
"You will never change!"
The boy clutching his head in fear, agony, the rage clawing from the inside.
"Stop it!" He pleaded.
The voices did not cease however, continuously throwing insults and curses, the boy groaning in panic, the anger he had kept bottled up for so long clawing to get out, and he almost let it out…
Then he heard it.
"Don't give up!"
Opening his eyes, he saw a bright blue light from afar.
"Come this way! Take my hand!"
Seeing no other way, he got up and made to run towards the light, only to feel several shadow arms grab him from behind, trying to pull him back. Trying to get away, he dared to look back, he saw something light up in the dark; a large, bright orange eye, followed by several others, all staring at him with sinister intent.
"You will never get away. You cannot change. You will always be a monster."
More arms emerged from the darkness, all grabbing on the boy, all pulling him back into the darkness. No matter how much he struggled, it kept pulling him back.
He almost gave up…
"DON'T GIVE UP!"
Suddenly, something warm and benevolent grabbed his hand and started pulling him forward, the boy opening his eyes to see Anne in her Calamity form, her hair and eyes bright blue and a strong aura of blue surrounding her, her eyes determined and fierce.
"You never gave up on me during my worst," She told him, her voice echoing. "So, you can bet I won't give up on you!"
Feeling his spirit lifting and his determination strengthening, Shadow activated his Calamity Trigger, pulling away from the darkness, the multi-eyed entity roaring in anger as the duo flew away and into the light, embracing each other lovingly.
"No matter what, we're in this together," Anne said, her forehead against his. "Through the fire and the flames, we can conquer anything."
In reality, Shadow smiled in his sleep.
Back outside, the five kids were hard at work, connecting the Plantar fwagon to the back of the garrison wagon, then hooking Bessie and Ironhide up front.
"All right. Let's do this!" Sprig declared, aiming to take the reins, only for Kaemon to swipe them away.
"Hold up, little bro." The swordnewt said. "This was my idea, so I get first go."
"What?!" Sprig complained.
"You'll get your turn later." Kaemon smirked before taking his seat. "Now, let's ride!"
With a whip of the reigns, they took off, unaware of the cloaked stranger watching them from afar, a wicked grin on his face.
Speeding down the road, the kids all laughed the whole way, going through a looped hill and jumping over a ravine. So far, it was going well.
"Kaemon, have I ever told you you're such a great night driver?" Sprig said.
"Why, thank you, little brother," Kaemon replied. "But it is you who is the excellent night driver."
Everyone laughed before coming to a stop at a canyon, seeing several falling rocks, with a sign warning them of falling rocks.
"Well, end of the line, gang." Kaemon said, almost sarcastically. "There's no way we can dodge a couple of li'l pebbles."
With everyone grinning, Kaemon whipped the reins and rode forward, laughing, but the laughter ceased when a rather large boulder landed right in front of them, prompting them to stop.
"Well, that's a big rock." Sprig remarked with wide eyes.
Everyone looked up, seeing more falling boulders, causing them to scream in panic before cracking the reins, making the snails speed off, dodging the falling rocks, all the while, on the inside, Shadow and Anne were flung around inside the garrison, along with Hop Pop inside the fwagon. All of whom were still asleep.
Finally, the group managed to escape the canyon before coming to a stop, all with wide eyes.
"Well, we obviously nailed that." Sprig said, trying to sound brave.
"Yeah, sure did." Ivy added. "But, uh, should we stop?"
"Pshaw! No way! That all you got, night driving?" Polly declared, although less confident now.
"Guess we'll keep going." Maddie chuckled nervously.
"Then, away we go." Kaemon said.
With a crack of the reins, the group pressed on, the atmosphere of the dark night making it hard for them to keep a brave face, and the vulture screeching 'Murder! Murder!' and the various nightmarish creatures they saw certainly did them no favors.
"Could this place get any creepier?" Ivy remarked but squinted her eyes a bit. "Wait, who's that?"
The kids looked ahead and saw someone on the side of the road, wearing a tall hat and trench coat, holding a lantern before raising a thumb.
"Huh. Hitchhiker." Kaemon remarked. "What's, uh, our policy on those?"
"Just play it cool. Maybe he's friendly." Sprig told him.
"Famous last words." Ivy muttered.
"Right, let me handle the talking." Kaemon said.
Eventually, they drove up to the hitchhiker, Kaemon clearing his throat.
"Hey there, mister. Like that hat." The swordnewt said. "Anything we can help you with today?"
They got no response. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck, the hitchhiker's hand revealing to be a hook, and his face covered in scars, a grinning, maniacal look on his face.
The kids screamed in horror at the sight of the scarred frog.
"Punch it, Kaemon!" Polly yelled, prompting the swordnewt to crack the reins and ride off fast, the hitchhiker looking after them.
The group sped off, and once they were at a reasonable distance, they let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Whew." Sprig let out a chuckle. "Well, that was close."
"Good thing we're way too good at night driving." Ivy declared with confidence.
"Preach!" Polly exclaimed.
They drove onward, Kaemon taking notice of a large sign. "The Foggy Fjords? How foggy could it be?" He wondered out loud, before they entered said fog, the visibility levels plummeting.
"Oh."
Driving on, the kids did their best to stay brave, passing through the fogs and praying that the unidentified, giant creatures walking by paid them no mind.
"What do you think those things even are?" Polly asked.
"I don't have the foggiest idea." Sprig said, his sister punching him for the pun. "Sorry, sorry."
They continued onward, the shadows of giant creatures passing them by.
"Crazy stuff." Kaemon remarked, before looking towards the road, the fog too thick to see through. "Oh, hey, wait a second. I don't see the road anymore."
"Are we even going the right way?" Maddie asked, slightly panicked.
"Hey, look! There's someone!" Ivy said, pointing forward. "Maybe we can ask... them."
To their shock, it was the hook-handed frog from earlier, the kids forming looks of horror.
"Oh, my Frog, it's the hitchhiker!" Polly exclaimed in fear.
"How?! We literally left him in the dust!" Ivy yelled.
"It can't be! Don't make eye contact." Kaemon told them.
The hitchhiker looked at them, and Polly doing the exact opposite of what the swordnewt said. "Too late."
The fog cleared a bit, showing two paths ahead of them. "A fork in the road!" Kaemon exclaimed, before the hooked-hitchhiker pointing his hook to the left path. "And he's pointing left!"
"Ahh! Then go right! Right!" Polly insisted.
The swordnewt directed the snails to go right, speeding past the hitchhiker, and they screamed as they got enveloped in more fog before going down a steep incline, then ended upside down, evading more monsters and unspeakable horrors in the fog, voices calling out to them, before it seemed to calm down.
The kids panted, thinking the worst is over.
"Where is the hitchhiker?" Sprig asked, looking around. "Did we lose 'em?"
"Definitely. There's no way he could follow us." Polly declared.
"We're up here and he's definitely way back there." Maddie added.
The kids all let out sighs of relief, thinking they were finally in the clear…before the air suddenly got colder.
"Hey, did anyone else just get a chill?" Ivy asked.
They all looked up behind them, and sure enough, the hitchhiker was standing atop their wagon, making them scream in panic, along with Bessie and Ironhide, before the creepy frog snatched the reins with his hook-hand, driving the wagons closer to the wall.
"He's tryin' to steal our wagons!" Polly shouted.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Kaemon yelled, he, Maddie, Ivy, Polly and Sprig grabbed on the reins, trying to wrestle it back, but the hitchhiker's grip was strong.
"Come on, how strong is this bozo?!" Kaemon yelled.
"That's it!" Polly yelled before launching herself at the hitchhiker. "Take that, you creeper!" Only to fly right passed his head. "Uh-oh." She screamed as she nearly flew off the wagon, only for the hitchhiker to catch her by her bow with his hook. "Aagh! I've been hooked!"
"Polly! Hang on!" Sprig yelled, jumping up and grabbing his sister before yanking her free, ripping her bow in the process.
The hitchhiker then raised his claw before swinging it downward, impaling the seat.
"Oh, no, the seat." Kaemon said. "Master and Hop Pop are gonna kill us!"
"Focus, Kaemon!" Polly snapped.
The creepy frog took the reins with his hook before pulling back, bring the snails to an abrupt stop, sending the kids flying onto their shells, both snails chirping with worry.
"Anyone impaled?" Kaemon asked with concern.
"Um, no, not yet." Polly said checking herself.
"Huh. Me neither." Sprig said.
"Guys, look!"
Everyone turned, seeing Ivy point at the top of the wagons, the hitchhiker nowhere to be seen.
"The hitchhiker. He's gone." Sprig said.
"Whoa! And not only that, but look where we are..." Polly said, pointing at the sign, telling them that Wartwood was only three miles away. "The valley!"
The kids looked over the cliff and saw Wartwood in the distance.
"We did it!" Ivy cheered.
"Good thing we stopped when we did." Sprig said, pointing over the ledge, seeing several sharp rock spikes bellow. "We woulda been goners!"
The kids laughed, proud of their success.
"Yeah! And it's all 'cause we're the greatest night drivers ever..." Polly paused midsentence before looking over to the side of the road, then letting out a scream.
"What? What is it?" Sprig asked.
"It's the hitchhiker! He's back!" Polly yelled, pointing a flipper.
The kids looked over, but instead, it was a statue of said hitchhiker.
"Wait a minute. It's... a statue." Sprig said.
"Odd. Why would someone so creepy looking have a statue?" Maddie pondered.
"Zechariah Nettles."
The group of kids nearly jumped at the voice, before taking notice of a newt cloaked in black, wearing a wide-rimmed hat with a red and black feather and hawk-like eyes. The newt was tall and muscular, black in skin and a light gray underbelly, having a short beard and mustache and sideburns pointed upward. He was dressed like a Spanish swordsman, in addition to a cross pendant around his neck. But the thing that stood out the most was the massive black sword he carried on his back, bare of a sheath and having a crucifix design to the handle.
The kids stared at him in confusion, as the newt continued. "He was a frog who spent his days guiding traveler away from danger on the way home. This monument was made in his honor."
"Oh, man!" Sprig facepalmed. "You mean that hitchhiker was actually trying to help us?!"
"He did try to make us take that other path." Polly said before pointing towards the path they took. "There's the path we were on." She then pointed to the one that was less nightmarish. "And there's the path he wanted us to use. Aww, it looks nice."
"Between that, stopping us from driving off this cliff and how he just disappeared," Maddie pondered. "I don't think there's any way around it."
"You tellin' me that hitchhiker was the ghost of ol' Zechariah, returning from the grave to do us a solid?" Ivy exclaimed.
"Sure seems like it." Sprig said.
"Amazing how ghosts work, no?" The stranger said, standing up. "Even dead, the spirits can come from beyond the grave to lend a helping hand." He chuckled a bit. "Strange, isn't it?"
Kaemon narrowed his eyes a bit, "That voice…"
"Who are you, anyway, stranger?" Sprig asked.
The stranger was silent for a moment before turning his head, a sinister grin on his face and his hawk-like eyes sending shivers down their spine.
At that moment, Kaemon's eyes widened in shock before turning to anger. "YOU!" He yelled, prompting his friends to look at him in surprise and confusion.
"Kaemon, you know this guy?" Ivy asked.
"He's the bastard who got me locked up!" The swordnewt yelled, pointing a finger at the newt.
The kids gasped, all staring at the other newt, who only chuckled.
"My name is Scaleson Crat." He said. "The most sought-after bounty hunter of all of Amphibia. And of course, the one who brought the Four Sword to his knees."
The green newt glared at him with daggers.
"Well, why're you here?" Maddie asked with suspicion.
"To finish what I started, my dear." Scaleson said, turning and facing them. "To put down the Demon of the Four Sword."
The kids gasped, while Kaemon looked ready for a fight.
"But why?" Sprig asked. "He already did his time and he's a hero to Wartwood!"
"Boy, he was supposed to be imprisoned for life." Scaleson frowned. "The toads never gave him such an early pardon, and now they want him dead."
"That's not fair!" Ivy snapped with a stomp of her foot. "Kaemon has been nothing but a hero to our community and doesn't deserve to die!"
"Life isn't fair, girl." Scaleson said. "It matters little. The toads want his head and I'm here to deliver."
"Like heck you will!" Sprig yelled before pulling out his slingshot, along with a few boom shrooms. "I won't let you take my big bro!"
The pink frog then set off the boom shrooms before firing them at the Spaniard newt, only for the newt to pull out his sword and knock the shrooms off to the side, the fungi exploding in the air.
"Whoa, did you see that?!" Ivy exclaimed in shock. "He just knocked them away like they were nothing!"
"More like he redirected their trajectory by moving the edge of his sword." Kaemon said, as though correcting her. "No matter what you shoot him with, it changes nothing."
"I don't think I've ever seen someone handle a sword with such grace like that before." Maddie said.
The dark newt put away his sword before grinning. "A sword without grace is no sword at all." He turned his gaze to the swordnewt. "Now, if you have any integrity left, you will surrender, and maybe I can convince the toad lords to show an inch of mercy."
"Like hell I'll let that happen." Kaemon scoffed before drawing out two of his swords. "You're gonna have to bleed for it, like everyone else!"
There was an intense silence in the air, Sprig, his sister, and the two female frogs watched with bated breath, the Four Sword watching his hated foe, the Spaniard newt reaching to grab his sword…only to pull the pendant from his neck and pulling the bottom piece off, revealing to be a rather small dagger.
"What game are you playing at?" Kaemon demanded, seeming irritated. "We're here for a sword fight!"
"I don't hunt rabbits with a cannon." Scaleson mocked.
"I'm no rabbit." Kaemon growled.
"That remains to be seen."
Kaemon felt his blood boil, but kept calm, refusing to give his foe the satisfaction of getting under his skin so quickly.
Steeling his resolve, Kaemon charged forward, rearing his two swords back before swinging at Scaleson in an X-formation strike…
…but Scaleson easily blocked the attack with the point of his tiny blade, not even budging from the force of Kaemon's strike.
The other kids couldn't believe what they were witnessing right now. For months, they saw Kaemon take down larger foes, be it amphibians or animals in the wild, even Tritonio eventually fell to the Demon's blade. And yet, this bounty hunter just blocked Kaemon's attack like it was nothing, with such a small blade, at that!
"How's your mother, boy?" Scaleson asked mockingly. "I assume she's doing well?"
"Careful what you say next, Crat." Kaemon growled.
Scaleson only chuckled. "She was the town tart in her day. Wild and footloose, and dare I say…pretty as a minx though."
"Is that true?" Sprig asked.
"No…I mean, not really, we all lived, it was different back then." Kaemon stammered, unsure what to say.
"But…the town tart?" Ivy questioned.
"Shut up."
The dark newt then pushed the young newt back, Kaemon digging his heels and blades to halt his momentum, letting out a growl and charged back in, swinging his blades, all the while Scaleson weaved and dodged the attacks as he backed up.
"Got you on the run now!" Kaemon yelled, before Scaleson blocked another sword swing with his small blade.
"Not even close."
And with a flick of his wrist, he sent the swordnewt skidding into the dirt.
"You've gotten stronger, boy," The Spaniard newt said. "But fighting isn't about strength."
"Stop talking and fight!" Kaemon snapped, getting back up before charging, the bounty hunter newt dodging every attack.
"You're the same as everyone else." Scaleson smirked, blocking and deflecting each attack. "Just another big fish in a small pond."
Kameon felt his temper rising, doing his best to keep it in check, but this hunter's mocking was making it hard to keep his composure.
Until he said something that set him off.
"It doesn't matter what company you keep; they'll never keep you."
Kaemon then flew into a rage, aiming to cut the newt down once and for all…
…only to feel his body freeze, when the dagger plunged into his shoulder.
"KAEMON!" The kids yelled in horror.
Kaemon felt the blood leak from his shoulder, looking up at his foe with anger in his eyes, the newt staring down at him with a neutral expression.
"Your struggle is pointless. Why don't you give up?" Scaleson asked, his tone lacking sarcasm this time.
Kaemon stared at him with steel in his eyes, the voice of his friend and their promise echoing in his mind.
"We'll become Amphibia's greatest swordnewts together, then we'll see who's the strongest!"
"I can't…" Kaemon growled, determination written on his face. "Lest my dream be lost."
Scaleson considered him for a moment before chuckling, "You're determined, I'll give you that." He then pulled his small knife free, allowing Kaemon to stumble back, then putting away his small weapon. "Then I'm sure you haven't forgotten the black blade of the Crucifix."
Reaching over his shoulder, the bounty hunter then pulling out the large cross-like sword he had kept sheathed until now, the morning sun's rays shining on the black blade.
His determination not wavering, Kaemon plopped the end of the blue sword he held between his teeth before drawing out his third sword with his free hand, then drew out his fourth and final sword with his tail. He then brought the handles of the swords in his hands together, holding one of them in a reverse grip, before then spinning them in between his fingers, eventually gaining speed.
Finally, both newts charged at each other with killing intent.
…
…
Sadly, Kaemon was sent flying, a large gash on his torso, blood spewing from his wound.
"KAEMOOOOONNN!"
The kids watched in horror as the swordnewt fell to the ground, his swords clattering to his side.
"Same as always, boy." Scaleson taunted as he started to approach. "Now, to finish the job."
"You back off!" Sprig yelled, jumping in to defend his friend, with Maddie, Ivy, and Polly by his side.
"I'll bite you're face off!" Polly screamed, pulling out her flail.
"Foolish children." Scaleson scoffed. "If you don't move aside, you'll join him in death."
"Normally, I don't curse anyone unless they deserve it." Maddie said with a glare, pulling out a few curse bags. "But you pal? You deserve it!"
She then threw the curses, the bounty hunter smirking before swinging his large blade, cutting the bags in half.
Maddie gasped in shock. "But how? Even blocked, they should have cursed it on impact!"
"Take a closer look." Scaleson said, turning the blade a bit to show several insignias on the side of the blade. "Crucifix is enchanted with powerful runes, helpful with witch hunting."
The kids tried to stay brave, even as the bounty hunter stood before them, towering over them with his massive blade. They soon braced themselves as he raised the weapon over his head and swung down…
…but the attack never came.
Daring to look, they gasped when they saw a now awakened Shadow in front of them, Black Hope drawn and blocking the attack, and Calamity Trigger activated, his hair flickering like a black flame, dark spider web-like veins across his face, and his dark eyes filled with rage.
"Leave my friends alone!"
With a roar, he pushed the bounty hunter back, and before he could recover, an arrow coated with a blue aura flew at his feet, sending the bounty hunter screaming as he fell off the cliff and towards the forest below.
"THIS ISN'T OVER, FOUR SWOOOOOOOORD!" Scaleson yelled before disappearing into the tree line below.
The kids turned and saw Anne standing atop the garrison, her bow drawn and having fired the arrow, her Calamity Trigger active. The danger had momentarily passed.
After having recovered from the Scaleson ordeal, the gang set up camp in a cave near the road to recover, Maddie and Hop Pop tending to Kaemon's wounds, while Shadow and Anne stayed at the cave entrance to keep watch.
"There we go." Hop Pop said, finishing up with the bandages. "Now, try to give it some time to heal."
Kaemon didn't say anything, just remaining silent with his head hanging low.
"Thanks, Hop Pop." Sprig said, letting out a sigh of relief.
"And while we're on the subject, what were you kids thinking?!" Hop Pop snapped, the Plantar kids cringing at their grandfather's anger. "Disobeying me and nearly getting yourselves hurt! Of all the irresponsible, inconsiderate, juvenile..."
"Hop Pop, please don't be mad at them." Kaemon spoke up. "It was all my idea. If you wanna punish someone, then let it be me."
"Plus, we had no idea that Scaleson creep was chasing us." Ivy added.
"Still, you kids could've gotten hurt, or worse!"
The kids looked down in shame, Hop Pop then sighing. "Still, after everything that happened, I suppose I could let this slide." He said.
Kaemon was silent before looking towards the cave entrance where Shadow and Anne were keeping watch. His heart ached at how he let his mentor down with his defeat at the hands of Scaleson; twice.
He still remembered how they first met…
Years ago…
For quite some time, Kameon had already built a hefty reputation as the Demon of the Four Sword. Besides taking on odd jobs, he also went out of his way to go after bandits and highwaymen that threatened the towns, in turn the towns showered him with praise and treated him with love.
That all changed when Scaleson Crat arrived to capture him. After a brief struggle, Kaemon was defeated and captured, imprisoned by the toads he had been showing up and sentenced to a life sentence, tied to a pole and left to die.
As he stood limply against the pole, his limbs bound and his spirit failing, he looked up and saw a cloaked figure approach, carrying what looked like the biggest katana he'd ever seen, as well as unable to see his face with the hood over his head.
Kaemon watched the stranger approach, and once he was close enough, he saw that his face was covered in shadow, the only thing visible being one of his green eyes.
"So, you're the Four Sword fighter I heard about." He said.
Kaemon stared at him with narrowed eyes. "And who are you supposed to be, stranger?"
"Nobody, really." The stranger said. "Although I heard some people call me Shadow, so Shadow will do."
"Will you get lost already?" Kaemon said, clearly disinterested.
"I simply wish to know how the toads captured you so easily." Shadow inquired. "From what I heard, you're quite the fighter."
"They didn't. Someone else did." Kaemon said, his head hanging low once again. "Even after everything I did for that town…"
"I heard the stories, my friend." Shadow said, pacing before him. "How you helped those who needed it." Kaemon couldn't see it, but Shadow smiled. "You're a good kid."
"You don't know a thing about me." Kaemon snarled. "I am the Demon of the Four Sword."
"I know that you're a warrior who doesn't tolerate bullies." Shadow pointed out. "I know of your deeds and how the people look up to you."
Kaemon remained silent, before Shadow asked him, "Are you planning on giving up? Don't you have ambitions to reach?"
Kaemon looked up at Shadow in surprise, before his face turned solemn.
"I have a dream to become the strongest swordnewt in Amphibia." He said. "I made a promise to a friend that I'd achieve a dream we both trained for."
Suddenly, he felt himself fall forward, free from his restraints, the newt looking up to see the boy in black holding all four of his swords.
"Wha-?! How did you-"
"Time to be free, my friend." Shadow said, holding the four swords out to him.
"But the guards-"
"Never saw me coming." Shadow shrugged, giving the newt his weapons. "Now, come. Let's get out of here."
"But why help me?" Kaemon asked.
"Because I see potential in you." Shadow told him. "Someone who can be more than what he is with a bit of effort and dedication." He then turned away. "Of course, you can always go back to wondering aimlessly, lost and without a purpose. Or you can follow me, and I can help you accomplish your dream and make you the protector Amphibia needs."
As Shadow started to walk, Kaemon thought about what he was told. On one hand, he didn't know this guy well, but at the same time, he wanted to get stronger, and he found the boy in black's words believable.
His decision made, he ran after Shadow, determined to follow his teachings.
Present…
Kaemon clenched his fists, his blood boiling, but most importantly, his determination strengthened.
"Master! Can you hear me?!" He yelled.
Shadow, who was still sat at the entrance, looked over his shoulder, Anne following his gaze.
"I hear you." He replied.
Kaemon then raised his blue blade. "I'm sorry for disappointing you. I know you had faith in me. I've let you down. Please forgive me." He then felt his eyes begin to water. "I solemnly swear on this moment forward," The tears soon began to stream down his face, a hand over his forehead. "That I will never lose again! Until the day comes when I defeat Scaleson, until I can match you, I will never be defeated!" He then yelled, "IS THAT OKAY, MASTER SHADOW?!"
Everyone sat in silence, Shadow thinking over those words before smiling.
"More than okay." He said. "I know you will get stronger, and I will stop at nothing until you reach that dream."
The Scaleson incident behind them, the group pressed on. No matter the challenges, Kaemon wouldn't let that fire go out.
He intended to become the strongest swordnewt of Amphibia.
Meanwhile, the Lanky and Bulky robot duo continued their trek along the mountain pass, Lanky keeping a slow pace as to not leave Bulky behind. Eventually, the duo stopped at the ledge before looking to the right, seeing the sign that said 'Wartwood 3 Miles', indicating that they weren't too far behind.
Their destination in sight, the duo continued walking.
And there goes the new chapter! This was a good chapter for Kaemon's character development, his first meeting with Shadow, as well as introducing the ruthless bounty hunter, Scaleson Crat. Inspired by a combination of Dracule Mihawk from One Piece, as well as Rat from Fantastic Mr. Fox, and suggested by our friendly neighborhood Guest, Scaleson is a bounty hunter out to settle old accounts and will stop at nothing to get his way. I'm so looking forward to exploring this dynamic between Kaemon and Scaleson in future chapters. So yeah, we haven't seen the last of Scaleson!
And now, we move on the Return to Wartwood! And since the Plantars actually have the gifts from the wish list in this timeline, instead, guess who's gonna be summoning the chickatrice? Like I said, haven't seen the last of Scaleson. I'm so excited, especially when we reach After The Rain! Hope you guys look forward to it!
And with that, I'll see you guys in the next chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated!